Living On
by PinkPhoenixButterflies
Summary: At the end of Harry's 5th year at Hogwarts, there is a terrible accident on the way home with the Dursleys. Post-OotP. Snape mentor fic.
1. The Crash

It was the end of Harry's fifth year and he had just gotten off the Hogwarts Express. Harry was in better spirits as he followed the Dursley to their blue compact car.

_Maybe this summer won't be so bad._ He thought. After the Order had threatened the Dursleys to treat him properly he was sure his summer wouldn't be as bad as the others.

_Well I hope._ He thought glumly. However, there was still and empty spot in his heart because Sirus was dead. Harry missed him terribly but after thinking about his talk with Nearly Headless Nick, he began to understand that it wasn't his fault, that there was nothing else he could have done. Harry had been tricked and he had originally blamed himself but then he realized that he was being too hard on himself. This was how he had come to terms with Sirus' death. Now, he decided he was going to work every night on Occlumency because he was determined not to fall into another trap.

As they approached the car, Uncle Vernon took his keys out of his navy-blue slacks and unlocked the car doors. Everyone got into the car and Uncle Vernon started the engine. He turned his turn signal on and pulled into the road.

They drove through downtown London and reached the farmland which spread between London and Surrey. They drove and drove and drove. Slowly the car began to ascend a hill.

At the top of the hill, a semi-truck was coming down but there was something wrong. It was swerving between its own lane and the lane Harry and the Dursleys were in.

"Oh, no!" Aunt Petunia screamed.

The truck was heading right for them. Uncle Vernon tried to turn out of the way but…

WHAM!

Harry closed his eyes. _No, please, I don't want to die._ He heard metal crashing, bones braking, and the Dursleys screaming in pain.

_Wait,_ he thought. _Why don't I feel any pain? Am I dead?_ Harry decided that it was best he didn't move. With his eyes still closed, he fell into a weary slumber.


	2. POP

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_Pop, pop, pop, pop…_ Harry heard which jolted him out of his sleep. He felt rain falling softly on him. "Burr." He murmured as he shivered. Suddenly, he heard people muttering and some footsteps heading his way.

"Harry?" Someone asked.

Harry looked around. _Why am I lying in the middle of the road?_ He wondered. "What happened?" He asked aloud.

"Well, you disapparated and we came to figure out why you were using your magic. Given what's happened in the past I decided to come myself with a group of ministry officials to investigate. However, by the look of things…" Fudge trailed off. He looked around nervously.

"What I mean to say is you -_err_ aren't in trouble for using magic because it's clear you were just unconsciously protecting yourself." Fudge said tensely as he kneeled down. "Harry, just to make sure, I don't want you to move until the medical team I sent for when I arrived comes to examine you, okay?"

Harry felt that Fudge was hiding something. "Err, okay, but what do you mean by 'it's clear I was unconsciously protecting myself?'" Harry inquired.

Fudge's eyes softened and he glanced to Harry's left. Harry followed his gaze and saw ministry people muttering spells and carrying away large, body-sized, black bags. Harry's eyes widened and he gasped, "No, they…no."

"Yes, Harry, I'm afraid your family died in the car crash." Fudge said, worry etching his face.

Harry blinked hard. His face was distorted as he began to shed tears.

Fudge stood up and Harry saw him greet three people with St. Mungo's uniforms on. One was a woman with short, blond hair, blue eyes, and a pale complexion. The other two were men. One had spiked, brown hair, a mustache, brown eyes, and tan skin; while the other man was shorter than the first with lighter brown hair combed out straight, blue eyes, and an average complexion. All three specialists were carrying medical cases.

Fudge peered at Harry and said, soothingly. The medical team is here, Harry. They're going to check you up. I'm going to go over to Arthur Weasley's office and see if he hasn't left for the day yet. I'm going to try to arrange your stay with him for the duration of the summer. I just want you to stay still, Harry, and stay calm. I'll be back in about half an hour." He turned to the medical specialist with the mustache and said softly, "Please stay with him until I return and make sure he doesn't try to get up and see anything. They're still cleaning up the wreckage." The man nodded and Fudge disapparated off to the ministry.

The three people kneeled and began checking to make sure Harry had no injuries. Through various spells they gave him a thorough exam looking for internal injuries and broken bones. After about ten minutes the woman said, "Harry, dear, it appears your perfectly fine except that you're shaking because you're in shock. We're going to give you an anti-shock potion, which will help you calm down."

Harry drank the neutral tasting potion, handed the glass back to her, laid his head back down on the pavement, and closed his eyes.

Harry rested, thinking of nothing as the numbness of the shock was still within his body.

_Pop, pop_. The sound jostled Harry from his resting. A short distance away he saw Fudge and Mr. Weasley. Fudge walked up to the healers and said, "How is Harry?"

"He's just in shock" said the woman, "we've already given him an anti-shock potion. This will likely be extremely emotionally scarring, however. I suggest that he see a counselor. There's nothing more that we can do for him physically."

Fudge nodded and looked around, "Thank you for checking him up and keeping an eye on him. I see you've already packed your things so I won't keep you any longer."

The three healers stood up, medical cases in hand and each, in turn, disapparated away.

Mr. Weasley knelt down to Harry and said comfortingly, "I'm really sorry this happened to you Harry. You, of course can stay with us. You're always welcome. We'll help you through this Harry. You can always talk to us about anything."

Harry just said, "Thanks."

Mr. Weasley helped Harry up and asked, "Cornelius, do you know if any of Harry's school things made it through the crash?"

"Let me go look." Fudge said. Returning shortly he proclaimed, "Nothing in the trunk was damaged. They have the wreck all cleared up now and everyone is going to the ministry to check out for the day. Anyway, here is Harry's things. We didn't find your owl. Did you already send it off? The officials said they couldn't find a wand either, is yours still on you, Harry?" Fudge inquired carefully.

Harry checked and sure enough his wand still resided in the back of his right pocket. "Yes, I already sent off Hedwig and I have my wand." He replied then looked over to Mr. Weasley hoping to leave soon. The potion the healers gave him was starting to make him feel a little less shaken but Harry's mind was still reeling from what had happened.

Mr. Weasley took the hint and said, "Okay, hold onto me and I'll disapparate us to the Burrow." Harry held on to Mr. Weasley who also grabbed Harry's things and with a pop they appeared in front of the Weasley's house.

Mr. Weasley explained to Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Ginny what had happened. While he did, Harry sat on the couch with his eyes shut and mind blank. _Even the Dursleys didn't deserve that. _He thought. Mrs. Weasley hugged Harry and patted him on the back. She sent Ron and Ginny upstairs with Harry's things and said "Oh, Harry dear, you go upstairs and rest in Percy's old room. I'll make you a nice big dinner."

Harry went up to Ron's room, passing Ginny and Ron in the hallway giving him sympathetic glances but said nothing and fell right to sleep as soon as he laid down, utterly exhausted, to rest.


	3. Pie Just Won't Cut It

Harry was sitting in a soft velvet chair with a bare hearth in front of him, but did not turn around. The footsteps stopped and Harry asked, "Well, is it done?" A thud was heard as the person kneeled, "Y…yes, but-"

"But what? Did you do it or not?" Harry yelled furiously as he stood and whipped around facing none other than Lucius Malfoy.

"P…please, I got a muggle vehicle to hit them and made them unable to turn away. It worked b…but…there…there was an unforeseen incident." He leaned his body so far down that his nose almost touched the finished wood floor.

Harry's eyes sharpened and he strode over and kicked the back of Malfoy's head, slamming it into the floor. Harry smirked; somewhat satisfied with breaking Malfoy's nose. "Tell me, now!"

"Potter apparated out of the car just as the crash began. The ministry must have detected his underage magic and came immediately. I had no chance to get him, Master."

"You fool," Harry took out his wand, "Crucio!"

"Ahh!" Harry screamed grabbing his scar.

Harry heard many footsteps, suddenly, his door burst open.

"Harry!" Ron yelled worriedly, "What happened? Are you okay?"

He blinked, taking slow, deep breaths. Voldemort had tried to kill him but only succeeded in killing the Dursleys. Harry couldn't believe it. The Dursleys are dead. Harry looked up to the faces of Ron, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley. "Voldemort sent Lucius Malfoy to kill me. Malfoy made the semi hit us but Fudge said I unconsciously apparated out of the car. The Dursleys died, and Malfoy would have come after me if all the Ministry officials hadn't apparated in as soon as I did underage magic."

Harry paused and took some deep breaths. He was trying not to start crying in front of everyone. "I…I saw…I saw a vision of Malfoy giving the news to Voldemort. He was being p…punished."

Harry's voice completely shut down. Harry closed his eyes. "I wish people would stop dying because of me."

Suddenly, Harry felt arms hugging him. He opened his eyes and saw it was Mrs. Weasley. Harry rested for a few moments. Once he calmed down some, Harry pulled away from her hug.

"Thanks." Harry signed. He looked down at his feet. _I am such a bother to everyone._

Ron kneeled down in front of Harry. "Hey mate, we're all here for you." Harry chuckled disbelievingly. "No, really mate. We're with you all the way and…and we want you to talk with us to…to tell us how you feel and to help you get through this."

Harry looked at Ron, "Yeah, really?" He replied skeptically.

"Really, Harry? Hermione, Ginny, my mom and dad, the twins, and me - all of us care about you." Ron smiled.

Harry sighed and smiled softly, looking back down at his feet. "Thanks mate." Harry's stomach growled. Everyone laughed nervously.

"Well, dinner's ready." Mrs. Weasley said standing up. "Why don't you all wash up? We'll talk more about this afterwards, Harry. I know this is going to take a lot more than one reassuring talk to get you through this." She left the room.

As they, all headed down for dinner, Harry began to feel even worse about himself. _I shouldn't be here making them worry. They should be happy, not worrying about me._

They got to the table and sat down. As everyone began to eat, Mrs. Weasley turned to everyone and said sadly "I informed Dumbledore of what has happened. He thinks the best place for Harry to go is Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore has called an Order meeting for tonight.


	4. Grimmauld Order Meeting

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After dinner they all went and packed up their things to go to Grimmauld Place. They took their things through the floo.

When they arrived there, most of the Order members had arrived. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny put their trunks away into their respective dorms.

Upon reaching the living room, Harry noticed that the Order had finally gathered. Seeing Harry's mourning look, Dumbledore said "I am allowing you all to go the Order meetings from now on. I think you'll understand why." He gave Harry a meaningful look.

Once everyone had arrived Dumbledore began the meeting. Everyone was informed of the Dursleys' demise. Mrs. Weasley told them about Harry's dream. Then they planned out extra warding to protect Harry as well as planning times when individual Order members would come and monitor the security of Grimmauld.

Dumbledore dismissed the Order. Tonks, who was first on duty to monitor security, Harry, the Weasleys, Dumbledore, and surprisingly, Snape lingered.

Dumbledore turned to Harry. "I have spoken with Severus about continuing Occlumency with you. He has agreed upon the condition that you keep his privacy, as he has briefly informed me you violated last year. Can you abide by his rules, Harry?"

"Yes." He replied glumly. _Great, more Occlumency with Snape. _He thought, sarcastically.

"Okay." Severus will be here twice a week to tutor you. You'll have you're first lesson tonight." Dumbledore informed him before leaving.

"The drawing room upstairs would allow you privacy." Mr. Weasley offered.

Harry and Snape headed upstairs. Upon closing the drawing room door, Snape asked, "So, have you done any Occlumency since you ceased lessons?"

"Umm… yeah, I've been practicing every night since…well…since – ya know…" Harry broke off.

Harry practiced closing his mind while Snape kept throwing Legilimens at him. After an hour, Snape said "I'll be back on Thursday at 3:00 pm for your next lesson." He made his way towards the door before Harry shook off his stupor and thought of something he should discuss with Snape.

"Wait! You, I…I wanted to talk to you about something." Harry nervously told Snape. Snape stopped and turned towards Harry and raised one eyebrow.

"Well." He said slowly.

"I just...your memory in the pens -"

"I thought I told you not to bring that up!" Snape snarled venomously.

"I, I just…I just wanted to let you know that I'm nothing like how my Dad behaved." He stopped to look Snape in the eye. "Truthfully, growing up I've been in the position you were in. I…you have to stop treating me like him. I've never been like that towards anyone, yet since the day I've arrived here you've judged me by my father. I'm not going to let you treat me like that anymore." With that he walked around the surprised Snape and went to go find Ron.


End file.
